Originally Posted by
falcon
What Ron said. A grade 8 stainless steel bolt is much stronger than anything required of muzzleloader breech plug.
Grade 8 steel is not Stainless steel. It's a medium carbon steel.You are correct that grade 8 steel is good enough for breech plugs. A grade 8 steel is used for fasteners and bolts on a car wheel for example.
Grade 8 steel and 18-8 Stainless are not the same.
The 18-8 steel that ronlaughlin is using is very cheap low end Stainless.
The yield strength of Grade 8 steel is 130,000 psi.
The yield strength of 18-8 Stainless that Ronlaughlin uses is 80,000 psi. Very cheap imported stainless steel. And yes very soft in comparison as i said before.
The steel that Lehigh uses is also a medium carbon steel. But the yield strength is much greater then the 130,000 psi of the grade 8 steel. I have a call in waiting for that number.